The PGA Tour wins this spherical in opposition to LIV Golf.
Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy topped Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka within the newest model of “The Match,” which was rebranded this time because the “Crypto.com Showdown” at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas on Tuesday evening.
The occasion was billed because the “first-ever multi-million-dollar skilled sports activities prize purse in CRO Cryptocurrency.” It’s unclear how a lot the profitable workforce took dwelling, however the prize purse was reportedly believed to be “not less than $10 million.”
The competitors was divided into three six-hole segments to resemble one thing just like the Ryder Cup at Shadow Creek. The first six holes had been finest ball, the center six holes had been alternate shot after which the final six holes had been singles matches.
The PGA Tour duo held the benefit in each stage of the match.
They had been 1 up after the primary gap of finest ball and simply stored going, clinching the primary win of the evening 3 and a couple of through an unimaginable 40-foot birdie putt from McIlroy on the fourth gap. DeChambeau had an opportunity to maintain the part going with an eagle putt from inside 5 ft, however pulled it.
The LIV workforce did do one bit of injury, although, when DeChambeau’s tee shot on No. 2 reportedly hit Scheffler’s father.
The alternate shot was nearer, with the identical outcome. Both groups struggled with placing, however McIlroy and Scheffler had been precisely one shot higher, placing them up 2-0 coming into the singles part and needing to solely tie not less than one of many two head-to-heads.
“It bought chilly fairly shortly, however clearly Scottie and I bought off to a extremely good begin, after which from there it was nearly making an attempt to maintain the momentum,” McIlroy mentioned on the TNT broadcast. “It was a little bit of a battle within the alternate shot and we had been fortunate to scrape a win over these six holes.”
For singles, it was Scheffler vs. Koepka and McIlroy vs. DeChambeau, and it was over by the sixteenth gap, as Scheffler clinched his matchup to complete off the proceedings, main by two holes with two to go. McIlroy was additionally main DeChambeau on the time.
PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf lastly occurs as deal nears
Now Tuesday’s occasion, which is simply the newest in “The Match” historical past, doesn’t imply a lot within the grand scheme of issues. It did, although, signify a step in the precise route within the battle between the Tour and LIV Golf — which is one thing that lastly seems to be nearing its finish after years of turmoil between the organizations and its golfers.
There was a time when pitting two Tour golfers in opposition to two LIV Golf members would have been an inconceivable thought based mostly on how the 2 entities had been treating one another. Even after PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan shocked the golf world greater than 18 months in the past with the shock framework settlement between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, issues had been nonetheless very rocky.
But not too long ago, issues have turned a nook. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund — which backs LIV Golf — is reportedly nearing a deal to amass a minority stake in PGA Tour Enterprises. According to a Bloomberg report final week, the PIF would get about 6% of PGA Tour Enterprises.
While specifics of that deal aren’t but identified, and it’s unclear when (or if) it would really get executed, it marks the closest we’ve been to a deal because the golf world initially fractured. The undeniable fact that McIlroy has modified his stance fully on LIV after being one of many strongest opponents to being keen to take part in a made-for-television occasion that pits the 2 leagues in opposition to one another is an ideal instance of that.
McIlroy and DeChambeau had been even throwing jabs at one another forward of the occasion like outdated occasions, after they referenced McIlroy’s brutal collapse on the U.S. Open earlier this summer time.
If nothing else, prime gamers from each leagues are prepared to return collectively and are going out of their option to show that with occasions like Tuesday’s in Las Vegas. Now it is as much as the leagues themselves to really get a deal executed.
Until then, we’ll have to attend for the Masters in April to get golf’s finest all on the identical course on the similar time.
